Actor Rahul Bose tonight said he felt disheartened in the wake of the cancellation of author Salman Rushdie's proposed visit to Kolkata.

Rushdie who travelled to Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai without any hiccups in the last few days, was to attend the prommo with Rahul at a press conference here for Deepa Mehta-directed film "Midnight's Children".

The author, however, cancelled his trip on security issues, a source close to the development said.

"I don't exactly know what happened. But I am disheartened," Rahul, the critically acclaimed actor, told reporters on the sidelines of the second edition of Kolkata Literary meet being held at the Kolkata Book Fair.

He was asked to comment on the news of cancellation of visit by the controversial author to the metropolis to promote Deepa Mehta's film 'Midnight's Children', based on his novel, at the last minute on security concerns.

Rushdie's 1988 novel 'The Satanic Verses' had led to a fatwa being issued on his life.

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